Crop Biodiversity Assessment

Biodiversity, the variety of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms found in nature, is a vital natural resource for the health of the planet and of human societies, including agriculture. Sustainable and productive agricultural systems ultimately depend on biodiversity. Biodiversity is not only a concept that expresses "diversity of life" but also a socio-political construct and an ecologically measurable entity. Therefore, an operational definition of biodiversity is necessary for the identification of research directions, biological conservation measures, and the formulation of environmental policies. Biodiversity loss is now a global issue, with agriculture being a major driver. Every agricultural operation, including management, impacts biodiversity as it interferes with nature. Therefore, measures need to be taken in the field of agriculture, and assessment models suitable for large-scale use are needed.

Fig. 1. The hierarchy of scale for potential benefits of multi-function agricultural biodiversity. (Clergue et al., 2009)

Our Solutions

Agricultural areas have unique biodiversity that underpins human activities. Therefore, it is vital to conserve biodiversity in agricultural and protected areas. Lifeasible provides comprehensive crop biodiversity assessment solutions to understand the impacts of disturbances on biodiversity and to monitor their status and relevance to agri-environmental measures. We aim to promote sustainable agriculture by providing a rich genetic pool for preventing pests and diseases, ensuring food security, and breeding improved crop varieties.

We offer a variety of assessment tools to quantify and evaluate the impact of agricultural activities on biodiversity. Our biodiversity research is often focused on one scale: either habitat, patch scale, or at landscape scale.

Direct Methods for Detecting Biodiversity

• Simple Indexes

Lifeasible provides state-of-the-art technology to ensure these indices are accurately represented, thus ensuring comprehensive biodiversity insights.

• Taxonomic richness: This method provides the number of taxa (families, genera, species, varieties, ecotypes) per unit area. This method is the most used and the simplest way to express diversity.
• Diversity indices: This method utilizes the number of taxa and their abundance. The Shannon-Weaver index can provide information on the complexity of a community, from one species alone to all species. This can also be used at the landscape scale to evaluate the diversity of landscape elements. The Shannon-Weaver index is often used as an alpha-diversity index, providing information at the species level. Diversity can be defined as the difference in species composition between communities. Beta-diversity is more significant when there are fewer species in common between different communities. Whittaker indices are the most appropriate in beta diversity, and they are easy to calculate and interpret.
• Biological Indicators

The complexity of biodiversity is not always visible through direct measurement. A broader picture of ecosystem health can be gained by understanding the dynamics of some key taxa. Lifeasible's extensive research into alternative metrics, such as biomarkers, demonstrates our commitment to innovation. By using these markers, we can predict overall trends in biodiversity with unparalleled accuracy.

Modeling Evaluation of Biodiversity Functions

• A modeling approach that treats life as a dynamic system: we offer several different models to explain or predict the vegetation structure and dynamics of ecosystems. None of these models assess the impact of farming practices on biodiversity; they only explain or predict vegetation structure or dynamics.
• Models to predict the threat level to natural resources: We offer this type of model to predict the level of threat to natural resources from human activities (e.g., pesticide and nitrogen inputs) or mechanical activities (e.g., tillage).
• Models based on life traits: These models are based on knowledge of certain characteristics or biological traits of animal or plant species. No statistical analyses or empirical relationships are needed to elaborate such models; only field observations and biometric measurements are required to build the database. Once the database is established, we can predict the presence of species in any ecosystem very effectively.

Landscape Indicators

The relationship between landscape composition and biodiversity is intricate and critical. Lifeasible ensures a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystems by measuring landscape parameters related to biodiversity.

• First, biodiversity parameters are examined about spatial information. For example, data is searched for the presence of target species in different habitats.
• After identifying the link between species abundance and spatial structure, this link is modeled and validated.
• Finally, landscape data are only used to monitor target species.

Agroecological Indicators

We provide interaction matrices to assess the impact of agricultural production practices on different components of agroecosystems. We ensure that our solutions fulfill a holistic understanding of the ecosystem and facilitate informed decision-making.

Through our advanced assessment tools and methodologies, Lifeasible is ready to guide the agriculture industry toward a future where crop biodiversity is not only conserved but thrives. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more information.